Quote:
Originally posted by Chad Hauris
Zenith seems to be the only manufacturer that used the 23" CRT past the time the tube-type sets were discontinued...
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I think you're right that most of those last-gasp 23" sets were Zeniths, but Zenith wasn't quite alone in continuing to use those old "curved-rectangle"-shape CRTs. I've got a 1977/78 Admiral TV dealer info binder, and it describes three 23" models-- one is a console in their lower-end "Solarcolor" line, but the other two are in the more expensive "Super-Solarcolor - Era II" lineup. I'm not sure, but I somewhat suspect that the Solarcolor was a true 1978 model, while the other two were actually from the 1977 model year, but were still in the binder.
From the literature, the 23" Admirals had regular delta-style picture tubes ("Admiral Super-Brite Delta Picture Tube").
By the way, this same dealer book also (as noted/illustrated on my Portacolor web site, BTW) shows two 22"
B&W consoles for the 1978 model year, which puts Admiral in the "race" with Zenith to be the last to offer
that particular type of TV as well.
I still don't have an answer for the implied question of
why anyone would
buy a new black-and-white
console in 1978... Why spend ~ $300 (list) for a B&W console-- nearly twice as much as a 19" portable B&W set-- when a low-end 19" color TV could be had for not
too much more (~ $400 list, and the dealer might be more likely to offer a better discount), or even a used color TV, if price was a major factor..? Did color TVs still have a reputation for poor reliability and/or expensive upkeep in those days..? Were there throngs of senior citizens who continued to insist on buying B&W console TV sets because that's the type of TV they were accustomed to having in the living room..? Or what..?
